Online News Discussions: Exploring the Role of User Personality and Motivations for Posting Comments on News. (March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Tai-Yee; Atkin, David
• Is Part Of: Journalism & mass communication quarterly. Volume 94:Number 1(2017:Mar.)
• Page Start: 61
• Page End: 80
• Publication Date: 2017-03
• Subjects: online news comments -- personality traits -- motivation -- user-generated content -- online news discussions -- online posting behavior; Journalism -- Periodicals; Mass media -- Periodicals; Communication -- Periodicals; Journalism -- United States -- Periodicals; Journalism -- Bibliography -- Periodicals; 070
• DOI: 10.1177/1077699016655754
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-6990

Abstract

This study examines personality traits and motivations in association with individuals' online news comment behavior. A survey of 517 participants indicated that those who were more agreeable and narcissistic were motivated for posting comments on online news. Motivations including informing, getting feedback, and exhibitionism predicted the frequency of posting on news comment sections, while social connection was a major predictor of commenting on the news shared in social media. Implications for using this online opinion-posting mechanism are discussed.